Compact, All-Optical Generation of Coherent X-Rays

摘要

A method for generating coherent, polarized, and tunable X-rays using a single laser pulse is provided. An ultrashort laser pulse is fired into a plasma. As the laser beam travels through the plasma, some of its photons are backscattered, e.g., through Raman backscattering, to generate a counter-propagating photon beam that is co-linear with the original laser beam. When the backscattered photons interact with high-energy accelerated periodic electron bunches, coherent X-rays are generated through Compton backscattering of the photons off of the electrons. The energy of the backscattered X-rays can be tuned by tuning one or more characteristics of the laser pulse and/or the plasma.

主权项

1. A method for generating an emission of coherent X-rays, comprising:
firing a laser pulse into a gas jet, a power of the laser pulse being configured to produce a laser-generated plasma within the gas jet, the power of the laser pulse and a width of the gas jet being configured to produce a beam of high-energy laser-accelerated periodic electron bunches within the plasma, the beam of laser-accelerated periodic electron bunches being co-linear with and following behind the laser pulse as it travels through the gas jet; wherein a plurality of photons from the laser pulse is backscattered by the plasma to form a counter-propagating photon beam that is co-linear with the beam of periodic electron bunches in the plasma; wherein photons from the counter-propagating photon beam scatter off electrons from the electron bunches to generate a self-amplified coherent emission of X-rays.